The bucolic UNH organic dairy farm with photogenic Jersey cows. Research by UNH students and a nutrition professor on tasty mozzarella cheese made from the organic dairy cows' milk. Let's put them together for the cover photo, suggested UNH photographer Perry Smith.

So we did. Professor Joanne Curran-Celentano and students Jillian Smith '12 and Amy Beliveau '10, '12G gamely sat at a table set with organic mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and flowers in the "dry cows" field while farm manager Emily Pavlidis held the cows back with a string (which cows can't distinguish from an electrified fence).

The cows would be curious, farm superintendent Trent Schriefer predicted, and he was right. Once released, some of them made a beeline for the researchers; others were more interested in licking an extra chair sitting off to the side.

Then they wandered around sniffing the table (particularly the greens underneath the cheese), nibbling at sleeves and scarves and checking out photographer Lisa Nugent's ladder and lights. They didn't need encouragment to keep investigating us: Emily said the photo shoot was the most fun they had had all day.

The result? Lots of laughter and fly-swatting and a memorable (and award-winning) cover photo.